"The Old Flag Never Touched the Ground"

Fort Wagner, South Carolina, July 18, 1863

The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment was recruited in the spring of 1863 by Governor John Andrew, who had secured the reluctant permission of the War Department to create a regiment of African-American soldiers. Like all Massachusetts Civil War soldiers, the 54th's men were enlisted in the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia. These Guardsmen would serve as a test case for many skeptical whites who believed that blacks could not be good soldiers.

The battle that proved they could fight was on Morris Island, at the mouth of Charleston Harbor. Following three days of skirmishes, forced marches, little rest, and 24 hours with no food, the regimental commander, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, requested the perilous honor of leading the attack of Fort Wagner, a sand and palmetto log bastion.

As night fell, six hundred men of the 54th advanced with bayonets fixed. Despite withering cannon and rifle fire, the men sustained their charge until they reached the top of the rampart. There, Colonel Shaw was mortally wounded. Then, Sergeant William Carney, who had earlier taken up the national colors when the color sergeant had been shot, planted the flag and fought off numerous attempts by the Confederates to capture it. Without support and faced with superior numbers and firepower, the 54th was forced to pull back. Despite two severe wounds, Sergeant Carney carried the colors to the rear. When praised for his bravery, he modestly replied: "I only did my duty, the old flag never touched the ground." Carney was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions, the first African-American to receive the award.

The 54th Massachusetts suffered 270 casualties in the failed assault. But the greater message was not lost: some 180,000 African-American soldiers followed in the footsteps of these gallant Guardsmen, and proved that African-American soldiers could indeed fight heroically if given the opportunity. FREE download of low resolution American Flag Poster Art. Higher resolution image is available to download for just $1.00.